The way we use our phones has continued to evolve with newer SoCs enabling more efficient video playback, betters photography, faster gaming performance, and most importantly, faster and more consistent data connections. With carriers going hard in the paint over 5G spectrum and mid-band deployment, the battle has shifted from total coverage to how much data these carriers can deliver and how fast.
T-Mobile has handily taken the crown in terms of 5G coverage and speed thanks to its 2.5GHz spectrum and its head start in deploying it. Even so, T-Mobile’s plans are still competitive with the best from Verizon and AT&T. Similarly, a secondary race among prepaid carriers has given single-line users and those wishing to stay away from contracts and payment plans plenty of options to get connected.
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T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s biggest strength is its network with its 5G coverage reaching most of the people in the country. Not only that, T-Mobile’s 5G is consistently the fastest overall thanks to the 2.5GHz spectrum is got from Sprint and advancements like carrier aggregation. The carrier has also been quick to maximize its new network dominance with tons of fast data on its mobile plans and Home Internet.
- Unequaled 5G coverage and speed
- Taxes and fees included with some plans
- Strong phone compatibility
- Too many data breaches to ignore
- Rural coverage is weaker than AT&T and Verizon
T-Mobile’s network is no joke, with its 5G network now covering the vast majority of Americans with the best network speeds overall, as shown by analysts like Ookla in its quarterly report. But T-Mobile doesn’t just win, it dominated with median download speeds more than double that of Verizon in second place. T-Mobile has also decided to make its faster mid-band coverage, called Ultra Capacity 5G, available to all plans, including MVNOs, unlike Verizon and AT&T.
When it comes to plans, T-Mobile has six major plans available, with two entry-level Essentials plans, two magenta plans, and two new Go5G plans. Essentials and Essentials Savings are very similar in terms of what you get, but the newer Essentials Savings plan starts at $50 per month, $10 cheaper than Essentials. Go5G and Magenta are also very similar, with 100GB of premium data, but Go5G makes its $5 price increase worthwhile with 15GB of hotspot data compared to 5GB and the addition of 720p streaming video.
The biggest story with T-Mobile’s newest plans comes with Go5G Plus. At first, it looks a lot like Magenta Max with unlimited premium data, but it upgrades the hotspot data from 40GB to 50GB. Most importantly, it adds a new feature called New in Two which allows new and existing customers the same upgrade deals and allows them to upgrade every two years. This is in response to AT&T and Verizon both making three-year payment plans the norm and requiring them for their phone discounts, and is available for all of the best phones on T-Mobile.
One thing that cannot be ignored with T-Mobile is its semi-regular data breaches. As recently as late March 2023, T-Mobile experienced a data breach that allowed a hacker access to customer information. This is following multiple data breaches in the last few years, which ended up with T-Mobile paying a $500 million settlement, including $150 million to beef up security. Evens so, its network continues to be the best in the country for 5G speed and coverage.
Verizon
Verizon’s network has a well-earned reputation for widespread coverage with solid speeds thanks to its LTE network and growing 5G coverage. Verizon’s best plans focus heavily on subscription and streaming perks, such as a plan for Apple users with Apple One, or streamers with Disney+.
- Strong LTE and 5G coverage
- Subscriptions bundled in
- Home Internet savings
- 5G coverage falls short of T-Mobile
- Ultra Wideband 5G excluded from some plans
- Expensive plans
Verizon is no longer the coverage juggernaut it once was, with AT&T and T-Mobile steadily taking bites out of its coverage map for the past few years. Even so, Verizon still offers excellent coverage with plenty of speed for streaming and swiping through social media. While T-Mobile has built a comfortable gap, Verizon is still improving, and in the last three quarters, as shown by Ookla, it has managed to improve its average speed. Verizon even managed a handful of victories in Opensignal’s 5G experience tests.
Verizon has two basic 5G plans with Welcome 5G and 5G Start, each being restricted to the slower nationwide 5G network. The One Unlimited for iPhone plan features unlimited premium data with 25GB of hotspot data plus an Apple One subscription, including Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+.
For streaming video fans, 5G Play More comes with 50GB of premium data, 25GB of hotspot data, and a subscription to Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, and the choice between Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass. The 5G Do More Unlimited plan comes with the same data but swaps the streaming services for 600GB of cloud storage, a travel pass, and savings on a tablet or hotspot plan. Finally, Get More Unlimited combines the two plans with unlimited premium data and 50GB of hotspot data regardless of which of the excellent Verizon phones available you pick.
Verizon’s plans aren’t cheap by any measure, and if you’re signing up, your best bet is to bring multiple lines. All of Verizon’s current postpaid unlimited plans feature multi-line savings, but unlike T-Mobile, taxes and fees are extra. Fortunately, if you have access to Verizon 5G Home Internet or Fios, you can get $25 off per month with One Unlimited for iPhone, 5G Play More, 5G Do More, and 5G Get More plans.
AT&T
While AT&T has failed to keep up in the race to 5G, the carrier continues to offer excellent rural coverage and reliable wireless service across the country. AT&T is still building its 5G network with plenty of mid-band capacity and mmWave in city centers and venues where it matters the most.
- Strong rural coverage
- Signature Program Member discounts
- FirstNet provides priority access and lower prices to first responders
- Worse 5G coverage than T-Mobile or Verizon
- Expensive postpaid plans
- Taxes and fees are extra
AT&T isn't fighting for the lead in terms of 5G speed or coverage, but its massive and reliable LTE network makes it the obvious pick for many people across the country. Even so, its 5G network buildout is well underway with the dedicated low-band spectrum for nationwide 5G as well as mid-band and mmWave spectrum for 5G+. Even so, AT&T makes good use of its network and even offers priority service to first responders such as firefighters, paramedics, medical workers, and more. They can even get 25% off on service.
For most people, AT&T has five plans available, with four unlimited options and a 4GB plan. Starting with Unlimited Premium, you get unlimited premium data, 50GB of hotspot data, and unlimited video streaming quality. This plan also qualifies for AT&T's Signature Program discounts. For people with certain employers, such as a school or hospital, employees can save $10 per month per line. Check AT&T's Signature Program page to see if you qualify. Before discounts, this plan comes in at $85 per month or $50 per line with four lines.
AT&T's Unlimited Extra plan comes with 50GB of premium data, 15GB of hotspot data, and low-quality SD video streaming. This plan starts at $75 per month or $40 per line with four lines. Unlimited Started gets rid of the premium data and reduces the hotspot data to 3GB but comes in at a more attractive $65 per month for one line or $35 with four lines.
AT&T also still has a 4GB plan for $50 per month, $40 with four lines, that also qualifies for a Signature Program discount. Finally, if you've only got one line, you can sign up for the Value Plus plan for $50 per month. This plan comes with unlimited talk, text, data, and 5G access.
Visible
Visible is a prepaid carrier owned and operated by Verizon that offers unlimited data on two plans. Pricing is simple with taxes and fees included so you know how much you’ll have to pay before signing up. Visible also comes with unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps.
- Totally unlimited data on a prepaid plan
- Premium data with Visible+
- Taxes and fees included
- No high-speed hotspot data available
- No Ultra Wideband 5g on the base plan
- No multi-line savings
Visible makes a lot of sense for heavy users looking to save money on unlimited data. Visible has no brick-and-mortar stores, so activation and phone setup are up to you, but if you can follow some instructions, setup is simple with a free SIM or an eSIM activation. Visible uses Verizon’s network, so most people will have no issues with coverage where they live and work. Visible users also have access to the faster Ultra Wideband 5G network with Visible+, but unfortunately, the cheaper plan is limited to nationwide 5G speeds.
Visible’s cheapest plan, called Visible, is the right starting point for most people with unlimited talk, text, and data in the U.S. with unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps. With a normal price of $30 per month and a promotion bringing that down to $25, this plan is an excellent way to save. If you want the best speeds Verizon’s network has to offer, upgrading to Visible+ is an excellent option. This plan comes with 50GB of premium data and access to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G speeds. This plan normally costs $45 per month but is down to $35 on promotion until the end of May 2023.
Visible doesn’t have any multi-line savings, so if you want to bring the family, each line will have the same cost. Fortunately, taxes and fees are included, so it’s easy to know how much your family will need to pay. If you have access to Verizon 5G Home Internet or Fios, you can get $10 off with Visible+ and $5 off with Visible.
Finally, since Visible is a prepaid carrier, you won’t get the big phone discounts that postpaid carrier use to keep customers locked into their service. This can be seen as a pro if you buy the best phones unlocked and want the best prices on data with the option to switch to another carrier at any time. Still, if you need a new phone and don’t have the cash on hand to pay for it outright, financing is available via Affirm on Visible’s web store. You can also get payment plans from manufacturers like Apple and Samsung when you buy your phone directly.
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is a prepaid carrier, now owned by T-Mobile, that offers four data plans on T-Mobile’s LTE and 5G networks. Mint Mobile offers discounts for those willing to pay for a longer term upfront, with a minimum term of three months and maximum savings at 12 months. Mint Family is also available to those with multiple lines, which gives you the best 12-month rates with three-month renewals.
- Excellent multi-line savings
- Recently increased data buckets for new and existing users
- Full T-Mobile 5G speeds
- Must buy at least three months
- Fees are extra
- Unlimited plan is really 40GB
Mint Mobile has been growing in popularity thanks in part to actor Ryan Reynolds buying the carrier and participating in marketing with T-Mobile purchasing the carrier in early 2023. Mint uses T-Mobile’s LTE and 5G network for all of its coverage, including T-Mobile’s fastest Ultra Capacity 5G coverage.
Mint also offers genuinely good plans, with each one available in 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month increments with greater discounts for those willing to sign up for longer. Luckily, you can get your first three months at the 12-month rate, so you don’t get stuck for too long if the carrier doesn’t work out for you.
Mint offers four plans with 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, or 40GB (Unlimited) of high-speed data included. Notably, the data amounts have increased twice since with carrier launched with its current data buckets making the carrier more competitive than ever. The three smaller plans can share their data with other devices using mobile hotspot while the unlimited plan comes with 10GB of high-speed hotspot data. All Mint plans come with free calling to Mexico and Canada.
Keep in mind that Mint Mobile does not include taxes and fees in its advertised rates, so you’ll need to pay a bit more on top. Still, with its low prices, Mint is still a strong value. If you have two or more lines, you can use Mint Family to get Mint Mobile’s best 12-month rates, but they renew every three months instead, making the higher rates a bit more palatable.
US Mobile
US Mobile is a prepaid carrier that offers a custom plan, a shared data plan, and two unlimited plans. US Mobile offers coverage on both Verizon and T-Mobile, though Verizon SIMs get more high-speed data on the unlimited plans. You can also save when you bring the whole family with multi-line savings.
- Tons of data on the Verizon network
- Multi-line savings for unlimited plans
- T-Mobile coverage available
- Taxes and fees are extra
- Less high-speed data on T-Mobile
US Mobile has a plan for just about everyone, whether you just need less than a gig of data or up to 100GB of premium data. US Mobile customers can use either the Verizon or T-Mobile network for coverage, so you’ll more than likely be able to use the phone you already own and get the right coverage for your area. One thing to keep in mind is that you get more high-speed data with Verizon as well as more international features.
US Mobile’s most basic plan is its custom plan. You can start with as little as 50MB of data with up to 15GB, so you can get exactly what you need and nothing more. If 15GB doesn’t cut it for you, US Mobile’s Unlimited Basic plan comes with 40GB of premium data (30GB with T-Mobile) and 5GB of hotspot data. This plan starts at $35 per line and comes down to $20 if you bring four or more lines.
Unlimited Premium takes the premium data up to 100GB (40GB on T-Mobile) and hotspot data up to 50GB. This plan is $45 per line for a single line and comes down to $30 with four or more lines. This plan also comes with 10GB of international data and, if you bring at least three lines, a free subscription service such as Netflix or Disney+.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay a bit more than shown since taxes and fees are extra. Even so, US Mobile estimates this charge to be between $1 and $5, depending on your location, so overall, the carrier is still a bargain. If you don’t need unlimited data and still want to bring the family, US Mobile also has a shared data plan that can be customized for your family’s needs.
Get the coverage you need
There is no single best carrier, as each one depends on your needs and the coverage in your area. It doesn’t do you any good to save money with a carrier if your signal isn’t strong enough to make good use of it. Still, T-Mobile comes out on top with its massive and fast 5G network that has reached the majority of Americans. T-Mobile's network is also compatible with a ton of different phones, including the best OnePlus phones, such as the Nord N20 5G, which lacks 5G support on Verizon and AT&T.
T-Mobile’s plans have also stayed reasonably competitive, and the carrier even offers discounted versions of its plans for 55+ and military customers. If you’ve tried T-Mobile in the past but didn’t get the coverage you need, it’s worth taking another look at its coverage map as T-Mobile has continued to improve its coverage with low-band nationwide 5G with supplemental speed provided by its mid-band Ultra Capacity 5G coverage. T-Mobile also hasn’t kneecapped its cheaper plans by limiting them to nationwide 5G as Verizon and AT&T have done, so if you don’t need premium data, you don’t have to give up Ultra Capacity 5G.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s biggest strength is its network, with its 5G coverage reaching most of the people in the country. Not only that, T-Mobile’s 5G is consistently the fastest overall thanks to the 2.5GHz spectrum it got from Sprint and advancements like carrier aggregation. The carrier has also been quick to maximize its new network dominance with tons of fast data on its mobile plans and Home Internet.